RIP Awoonor - Andy Aryeetey

Oofee n'ats3 bo ay3...

My voice tiptoes
For you are asleep
My eyes shoo my hands
For you are at peace.

H33 , Nuumo l3 eje mli
Etee Faa naa, ebaaa d)))nn
Kofi went to the market place
but did not return.
The bullets killed the man
but not his legacy.

So dry your tears.
Mrs Awoonor kpayaafo!
Ao! Esa gbele kpakpa
shi kpayaafo!

Ebaafee musu ak3 ebaagbo
Nakai gbele y3 eman
No hew)l3, kpayaafo.

The bullets killed the man
but not his legacy.

If you say that guns do not kill people,
just as pens do not write mistakes;
then plant seeds of compassion in your children,
for who can uproot trees of wickedness?

Mankind is limited by hind-sight
Denominators such as religion
should not separate us.
The bullets killed the man
but not his legacy.

Kofi Awoonor, R.I.P.
Roam in Paradise.
Better still,
return if possible.



Andy Aryeetey performing "RIP Awoonor":





Andy Aryeetey is a contributor to One Ghana, One Voice.

This poem is part of our series of poems in memory of Kofi Awoonor. You can learn more about Awoonor and the series
here.

4 comments:

Darko Antwi said...

Were I anybody but what I am, I would wish me only he (Andy). That is to say this is a covetous poem.

Ghana must be proud of this measure of talent. Awoonor should be responding in Ga: Oyiwa d)))nn

Welldone, Andy. Don't take me too serious for envy. In the first paragraph, I was just putting my feet in the shoes of a character in Shakespeare's Coriolanus, to express my unreserved respect for your poem, 'RIP Awoonor'

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Andy said...

Thank you Darko. Much respect for you too.Wish i could tag the Awoonor family to read it. Thanks again.